1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the general field of packages and packaging methods for semiconductor devices; in particular, the invention relates to a package and packaging method comprising a container with multiple die-shaped compartments for a semiconductor device having a plurality of leads, wherein the container is used both for supporting the semiconductor devices and for shaping the leads thereof to a desired configuration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor devices are typically provided with conductive leads extending outwardly from a core semiconductor portion. These leads often need to be bent to conform to the requirements of the printed circuit board for which they are designed, so that, for example, they can extend through via holes in the circuit board, thereby interconnecting a number of semiconductor and other devices into a desired circuit or system. The method of manufacture of semiconductor devices with leads includes the step of inserting the leads on the core semiconductor portion at a station, followed by forming the plastic encapsulation (bonding) that incorporates the leads into the semiconductor portion at another station, and packaging the semiconductor device at the assembly line's last station with the leads extending outwardly (unformed) on the same plane of the semiconductor portion of the device. If required, a totally separate operation is usually carried out to bend (pre-form) the leads to the desired configuration for a particular intended purpose prior to a subsequent and separate packaging procedure to provide both support for and packaging of the semiconductor device.
One problem with the prior art methods of bending the leads and subsequently packaging the semiconductor device with the pre-formed leads is that it involves separate steps carried out at several (and possibly separate) assembly stations, which results in relatively high labor and equipment assembly costs. Another problem is the avoidance of damage to the bent leads (which need to be kept bent in accordance with a pre-set specification) during the process of packaging the semiconductor device. This problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,811 to Jung et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,017 to Koors et al. which describe a semiconductor device nested within two plastic rings that pre-form the leads of the device to a desired configuration and at the same time provide protection. The rings are snapped around the semiconductor portion of the device after bonding to the lead frame and, in the process, bend the leads to specification. While this procedure provides needed protection to the formed leads in the device, it still requires further packaging of the unit for storage and shipping. Moreover, the procedure entails a separate step in the assembly of the device.
My copending application Ser. No. 07/736,792, referenced above, is directed at providing a solution to these problems by disclosing a method of packaging whereby the leads of the semiconductor device are bent to specification at the same time that they are packaged, thus reducing the number of steps and cost of the overall manufacturing and packaging operation. Yet another problem, not addressed in that application, is that current methods of packaging load the semiconductor devices on trays (blister magazines) having multiple adjacent compartments in both directions (X-Y trays). The geometry of these trays requires the off-loading equipment to operate in two directions, which greatly complicates the equipment with attendant greater costs of manufacture and greater maintenance problems. Therefore, there still exists a need for an improved semiconductor packaging tray and corresponding off-loading equipment that result in a simpler and more reliable packaging operation.